Circular knitting machine



ly 1931. F. H. SCHABACKER 1,814,265

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE V Filed Oct. 21, 1 29 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 14, 1931. F. H. scHABAcKER CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 21. 1929 1 Q a 3 w A M 4.. E; P i g y 1931. F. H. SCHABACKER' CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 21, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 July 14, 1931. F. H SCHABACKER 1,314,265

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed 001:. 21, 1 29 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 eia:

4 FRED H. SGHABAUKER, F ROGWURD', ILLINQIS, ASEtIG-NOE 1'0 ROCKFORD MIT'IIET 4&2

HOSIERY COMPANY, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS CIRCULAR KNITTING- MAC Application filed October 21, 1929. Serial No. 401,070.

This invention relates to improvements in a circular knitting machines.

In the knitting of ribbed to s for socks or ribbed legs and tops for stockings it is the practice to knit on a flat bed machine the foot and leg, in the case of socks, and just the foot in the case of stockings, and to transfer the last course of the sock or stocking onto the cylinder needles of a circular knitting machine for the knitting of the ribbed top, in the case of socks, or the ribbed leg and top, in the case of stockings, The rib pattern was, of course, produced by the knitting of the cylinder and dial needles, a certain number of stitches being knocked one way alternating with stitches knocked the other way according to the particular pattern desired,

as for example, a 1 and 1, 2 and 1, 3 and 1, 2 and 2, or whatever might be desired. This transferring of the work from the one machine to the other was generally preferred to the knitting of the ribbed part separately and sewing the same to the other part of the sock or stocking; because it obviously produced a more serviceable article, but with the unimproved circular knitting machines, it was impossible to produce the wales of the ribbed portion all continuous with the wales in the rest of the stocking, because there was no way of transferring the loops to the dial needles. For example, where all of the loops were transferred to the cylinder needles the ribbed portion was made too heavy and a pronounced ridge or swell was produced at the union, the dial needles being extra needles and, throwing an excess of yarn into the ribbed portion. Thus in the case of a 1 and 1 pattern the ribbed fabric would be made twice as heavy as the fabric of the rest of the sock or stocking, and in the case of a 2 and 1 pattern the ribbed fabric would be 50% heavier than the other and so on. This was, of course, an outstanding objection since it meant higher cost in proportion to the amount of extra yarn used, less comfort, and more or less unattractive appearance. Another objection with that sort of knitting was that holes were left at the beginnings of the wales knitted by the dial needles, these wales not being continuous with the wales in the rest of the stocking, and of course these holes spoiled the appearance and gave the impression to the purchaser of defects in the knitting. Another objection was that core yarn could not be used because of its being too hard to ravel and because it made the ridges too heavy, and that meant added cost.

It is, therefore, the principal object of my invention to provide a circularknitting ma-' chine having needle dummies or so-called transfer points alternating with the needles in the cylinder, one for each dial needle, onto which loops are arranged to be transferred or picked when the last course of the leg or foot of a sock or stocking is being transferred to the cylinder of the circular machine, the

by the old methodson the unimproved circular machines inasmuch as the knitting at the union between the two fabrics is just as strong as at any other point. As a matter of fact, it is not evident that the one part has been knit on one machine and the other part on another because the wales in the two parts are knit co-extensive. The ribbed part is furthermore of the same weight as the other part and there is absolutely no ridge whatever at the union between the two parts, so that the sock or stocking is much more comfortable to wear and more attractive in appearance. The fact that less yarn is employed naturally means a saving in cost and it is found that core yarn is suitable for this ldmittng so that the cost is still further reuse In the machine made in accordance with "r; switch for shifting the dummies from the 6 lower track to the middle track and another switch for shifting the needles and dummies from the middle track to the upper track, the said switches being arranged to be thrown at the same time when it is desired to elevate the needlesand dummies for the transfer of. the work thereto, and :being thereafter arranged to be operated again at the same time to direct the needles properly on the knitting stroke and direct the dummies back toward the lower track. I provide the knitting cam in the form of an adjustable element, for the purposes of tension adjustment, and provide thereon two different cam surfaces, one of which is reached only by the butts of the needles, and the other of which is reached by the longer butts of the dummies so that the one and the same cam is arranged to direct the needles toward the middle track and the dummies toward the lower track, aside from performing the function of determining the tension on the yarn. The dummies are thus arranged to be retracted in the knitting of the first course immediately after transferring their loops to the dial needles and are arranged to remain retracted thereafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention- Fig. l is a plan view of a circular knitting machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of a portion of the circular frame showing the lever for operating the switch for shifting the needles and dummies from the middle track to the upper track;

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section showing the knitting cam and is taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 5 is a similar section showing the i switch for shifting the dummies from the lower track to the middle track and is taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 6;

Figs. 6 and 7 are developed views of the inside of the circular frame showing the tracks and illustrating the operation of the dummies with the needles and the control thereof by means of the switches and the knitting cam;

Figs. 8 to 10 are fragmentary views on an enlarged scale showing the transferring of a loop from a dummy to a dial needle;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary sectional detail on an enlarged scale indicating the knitting of the dial needles with the cylinder needles after the transfer of the loops to the dial needles;

Fig. 12 is a detail on an enlarged scale showing the union between the plain fabric and the ribbed fabric; and

Fig. 13 is a view of a sock produced in accordance with the invention.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring for the present, more particudial with the cylinder relative to the stationary head 21. An arm 22 mounted on a post 23 on the frame of the machine reaches over the cylinder and carries a standard 24 on which the dial 20 is mounted for rotation as clearly indicated in Fig. 3 and on which the head 21 is fixed. The arm 22 is arranged to be raised and turned to carry the dial to an out of the way position when work is being transferred onto the cylinder needles 25, as is well known, and after the transfer of the work the arm is swung back and fastened rigidly in the position shown and the lug 18 brought into engagement with the lug 19 so as to drive the dial 20 with the cylinder 17 and cause the operation of the dial needles 26 along with the cylinder needles 25 in the usual way. A track 27 is provided for the butts of the needles 26 in the head 21, concentric with the standard 24 and in connection with this circular track a side track 28 is provided features now to be described cooperate therewithin novel combinations and arrangements required in the practicing of my invention.

In the ordinary unimproved circular knitting machine the circular frame 14: is provlded with two tracks 31 and 32, the one above the other, but in accordance with my invention I provide a third track 33 below. the others, for a purpose which will resently appear. For the sake of convenience 31 Wlll be hereinafter referred toas the upper track, 32 the middle track and 33 the lower track. Now, the cylinder needles 25, which are mounted for reciprocation in slots 34 in the periphery of the cylinder 17, have the butts 35 thereof arranged to travel either in the upper track'31 or the middle track 32 depending on the position of a switch 36,

.that is, in either the upper or lower track of Fig. 6 the butts 35 will ride over the lower 1 cam surface 38 of the switch and enter the upper track 31 and thereafter the needles will continue to run in the upper track so long as the switch remains in the position stated. However, when the switch 36 is lowered to the position shown in Fig. 7 the butts 35 riding in the upper track 31, upon run in the middle track coming into engagement with the upper cam surface 39 of the switch 36 are arranged to be directed downwardly away from the upper track along a descending cam surface 40 provided on the so-called knitting cam 41, and thereafter the needles will continue to and be given an up and down knitting stroke each time they traverse the rising and descending cam surfaces 37, 39 and 40. The knitting cam 41 has a rising cam surface 42 extending from the lower end of the descending cam surface 40 and arranged to direct the butts of the needles back to the middle track 32 at the end of the knitting stroke. The tension on the yarn is enough to insure the riding of the butts of the needles upwardly along the surface 42. In fact, the knitting cam 41 is adjustable as a whole up or down to determine the extent of the tension on the yarn, a pin 43 being provided extending from the back of the cam 41 outwardly through -a slot 44 in the frame 14 to any suitable means for fixing the cam in any desired position of adjustment. The switch 36 is operated somewhat similarly by means of a bolt 45. The latter extends through a hole in a lever 46 and through a slot 47 in the frame 14 and threads into the back of the switch 36. The lever 46 is pivoted on the frame at 48 and a coiled compression spring 49 under the head of the bolt presses against the lever 46 and holds it yieldingly on either one of two pins 50 or 51, holes being provided in the lever 46 on either side of the bolt 45 for re ception of said pins in a mannerbelieved to be self-evident. The lever 46 is shown in Fig. 2 in a position corresponding to the lowered position of the switch 36 shown in Fig. 7. Leaving out of consideration for the moment the lower track 33, it will be understood that in the ordinary unimproved circular knitting machine, if there were two cylinder needles for every and 1 rib pattern would be produced by the operation of the cylinder needles and dial needles into each other, and if three cylinder needles wereprovided for each dial needle a 3 and 1 rib pattern would be produced, and so on. In Figs. 6 and 7 every three cylinder needles 25 are shown alternating with a needle dummy or transfer point 52 from which loops are arranged to be transferred to the dial needles of which there is one for each dummy, so that a 3 and 1 rib pattern would be produced by the operation of the cylinder needles and dial needles into each other following the transfer of the loops cylinder all of dial needle, a 2' from the dummies to the dial needles in the manner hereinafter described.

The dummies 52 have the butts 53 thereof arranged normally to ride in the lower track 33. The dummies are then in lowered retracted position as represented at the right hand end of Fig. 7. A switch 54 is, however, arranged to be thrown down into the path of the butts 53 in the mannerindicated in Fig. 6 to direct the dummies to the middle track. The upper ends of the dummies are thereby brought into the same plane with the ends of the. cylinder needles running in the middle track. After the dummies have been shifted from the lower track 33 to the middle track 32 they are arranged to be shifted to the up- .per track 31 along with the cylinder needles 25 by the shifting of the switch 36. The 0 eration of the latter was previously descri ed. The switch 54 is swingable from the inoperative position shown in Fig. 7 to the operative position shown in Fig. 6 about a pin 55 as a center by the turning of a finger piece 56 attached to and extending radially from the outer end of the pin 55, as shown in Fig. 5. A leaf spring 57 fastened to the circular frame 14, as shown at 58, is arranged to hold the finger piece 56 yieldingly in either of its two positions. Assuming that the switch 36 has been shifted to the raised position shown in Fig. 6 simultaneously with the shifting of the switch 54 or immediately thereafter, it should be evident that after one complete turn of the the needles 25 and dummies 52 will be disposed in the upper track 31 and hence will be projecting from the cylinder as far as possible as shown in the middle of Fig. 6, the ends of the needles and dummies being all disposed in the same plane. When the needles and dummies are so disposed the loops of the last course of knitting of a piece of work are arranged to be transferred or picked thereon, one loop onto each needle and one loop onto each dummy. Now, it will be observed that the upper ends of the dummies 52 resemble closed tweezers, there being a pair of spaced spring tines 59 forming the upper end of each dummy having the extremities 60 thereof bent inwardly toward and enga 'ng one another in such a way that the end o izhe dummy is blunt and rounded so that a loop can he slipped over the same just as easily as over the end of any one .of the cylinder needles. The tines of each dummy are spaced sufliciently to form an eye arranged to receive the end of the dial needle 26 associated with the dummy. The tines are arranged to be sprung apart to allow the dial needle to emerge from the eye as the dummy is drawn downwardly therefrom as depicted in Fig. 7. Spurs 61 are provided onthe edges of the tines 59 at the proper distance from the free ends of the tines, as most clearly shown in Figs. 8 to 10, so that the loop when transferred to the dummy will come into the proper plane with reference to the dial needle associated with the dummy. The purpose of this precise location of the loop by means of 'the dummy will be hereinafter explained.

The working into each other of the dial needles and cylinder needles, with the dial needles entering the eyes of the dummies as represented in the middle of Fig. 7, results in the knitting of the first course of the rib pattern and the transferring of the stitches from the dummies to the dial needles, and, consequently, after one complete turn of thecylinder the dummies should all be retracted as they take no further part in the operation of the machine. For that reason, immediately after transfer of the stitches to the dial needles the dummies are arranged to be di rected back to the lower track 33. The butts 53 of the dummies 52 ride down the descending cam surface 40 of the knitting cam 41 along with the butts 35 of the cylinder needles as represented in Fig, 7, but by reason of the fact that the butts 53 are longer than the butts 35 the butts 53 are arranged to ride on a descending cam surface 62 instead of riding up the ascending cam surface 42 with the butts 35 of the cylinder needles 25. This operation is clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 7, the latter showing how the dummies are separated from the cylinder needles, the dummies going to the lower track 33 and the cylinder needles to the middle track 32. The switch 54: is, of course, shifted to the inoperative position shown in Fig. 7 at the same time the switch 36 is shifted to the lower position so that after the first turn of the cylinder the dummies always remain retracted whereas the cylinder needles are each given a knitting stroke once for each turn of the cylinder.

In describing the operation, assume that it is desired to produce a sock such as that shown in Fig. 13 having a plain foot 63 with any suitable or preferred toe and heel portions 64 and 65 and a plain leg portion 66, but having a ribbed top 67, say of a 3 and 1 pattern. Everything but the ribbed top can, of course, be produced on an ordinary flat bed knitting machine. The rib top however, requires transferring of the work to a circular knitting machine. In Fig. 12 the letter A designates a portion of the last course of knitting for the leg 66 shown in white, and B represents the first course of the knitting for the ribbed top 67 shown in solid black. In the transferring of the work to the circular machine all of the loops of course A are slipped over or picked onto the cylinder needles 25 and dummies 52, the needles having the latches thereof open and the loops being slipped down over the same past the latches to the throats of the needles so that these loops will be shed in the knitting of the first course of the ribbed top. The loops intended to be transferred to the dial needles, and for that reason, picked onto the dummies 52, are

switch 29 is thrown so that the dial needles will be given the in and out motion required for knitting therewith, and then the cylinder is given one turn or more by hand to give the-.dial needles and cylinder needles an opportunity of working into each other with the dial needles entering the eyes of the dummies to transfer the loops from the dummies to the dial needles. Then the clutch for turning the cylinder and dial under power is engaged and the ribbed top is produced of a predetermined length, the clutch being disengaged automatically at the proper instant to stop the operation of the machine for the removal of the finished sock. In the first turn of the dial, which as stated above is taken care of by hand, the dial needles are extended through the eyes of the dummies and the loops of the end course A thereon as represented in Figs. 8 and 9, the dial needles being extended far enough so that the loopsare transferred onto the throats of the dial needles behind the latches thereof. As the dummies commence to descend toward retracted position and the dial needles commence to be retracted on their knitting stroke it is evident in Figs. 10 and 11 that the loops of the end course A are shed from the dial needles over the yarn cast into the hooks of the dial needles, the latches of said needles closing in the shedding of said loops. By reference to Fig. 12 it will be seen that the stitches of the dial needles desi ated by the letter C are knocked one way w ereas the stitches of the cylinder needles designated by the letter D are knocked the other way to produce the rib pattern in a well known manner.

It is believed the foregoing description is suflicient to give a clear understanding of my invention such that anyone skilled in the art would be enabled to practice the same. The appended claims have been drawn with a view to' affording protection commensurate with the degree of novelty and in order to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations such as would be apt to occur to one skilled in the art having the benefit of my disclosure.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine, the combination of a circular frame, a cylinder rotatable therein, a dial cooperating with the cylinder and rotatable therewith, the cylinder having needles operable thereon and the 7 normal knitting dial having needles operable thereon in transverse relation to one another, said frame having a pair of continuous tracks thereon one above the other in either of which the cylinder needles are arranged to be disposed, at one level for the transfer of work thereon and at the other level for knitting, means for switching the'needles from one track to the other, said frame having a third track at still another elevation, a lurality of transfer points in the nature of needle dummies arranged to be disposed normally on said track at an on -of-the-way level with respect to the cylinder needles but adapted to be switched to one of same level as the cylinder needles when the latter are having work transferred thereto whereb. to have certain stitches transferred onto sa1d transfer points, the latter being arranged subsequently to transfer the stitches therefrom to the dial needles, and means for switching the transfer points to and from the last mentioned track.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in-' cluding a knitting 'cam on said frame arranged to have the butts of the cylinder needles engage said cam surfaces thereon in the operation in which the said needles are directed always toward one of the gaged only by first two mentioned tracks, said cam having still another cam surface arranged to be en butts provided on the transer points arranged to direct saidpoints toward the last mentioned track, whereby to separate the transfer points from the cylinder needles during the knitting of the first course of the rib knitting after the transfer of 31116 stitches from said points to the dial nee es.

3. A. structure as set forth in claim 1 including a knitting cam, the cylinder needles having butts arranged to ride on certain cam surfaces provided on said camrwhereby the same are always directed to one of the first two mentioned tracks after the knitting stroke thereof the said cam having still another cam surface thereon so located that the same is not reached by the butts of the cylinder needles, and the transfer points ha longer butts than the cylinder needles provided thereon arranged to ride onthe last mentioned cam surface and to be thereby directed toward the last mentioned track whereby to separate the transfer the cyhnder needles during the 'tting of the first course of the rib knitting after the transfer of the stitches from sai points to the dial needles.

4. The structure as set forth in claim 1 whereineach of the transfer points com prises a stem portion terminating in a tweezer portion over which the stitch to be transferred is arranged to he slipped and into which the dial needle is arranged to be entered for the transfer of the stitch thereto,

the other tracks to the oints from nature.

FRED H. SCHABACKER.

the said tweezer 

